2016 Cook. Craft. Create. Convention & Show

Phoenix, Arizona, July 15–19, 2016

Phoenix’s bold nature shines through with unique cultural eats, breathtaking sunsets against rugged mountains and a gateway to the Grand Canyon. Educational and engagement opportunities that built off the ChefConnect series provided a revitalizing experience for members, foodservice professionals, students and competitors. Whether you are a seasoned chef or a student new to the kitchen, Cook. Craft. Create. offered something for everyone.

More than 850 chefs, cooks, students and foodservice professionals attended Cook. Craft. Create. Convention & Show, hosted by the ACF Chef’s Association of Arizona, Inc. The event provided attendees with numerous opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative workshops and seminars, cutting-edge demonstrations, a trade show featuring nearly 100 exhibitors, a career fair, national competitions and ACF’s annual national awards.

Presentations included The Future of Food Panel Discussion, which examined how food production, manufacturing and innovation are adjusting to changing demographics and included panelists James Corwell, CMC, founder Tomato Sushi, San Francisco; Bruce Friedrich, executive director, The Good Food Institute, Washington, D.C.; Bill Franklin, CMC, AAC, corporate executive chef, Nestlé Professional, Denver; and Helmut Holzer, CMC, vice president/corporate executive chef R&D, Gourmet Foods International, Atlanta; as well as How Diversity in the Workplace Can Lead to Success, presented by Costa Magoulas, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC, dean, Mori Hosseini College of Hospitality and Culinary Management, Daytona State College, Daytona Beach, Florida, who discussed how to develop programs to help people from different backgrounds work together and communicate more efficiently.

Chefs Outreach to the Community Day kicked off the national convention July 15. Volunteer chefs from around the nation worked with over 100 low-income individuals in the Phoenix community to prepare and serve 350 lunches, followed by a cooking demonstration.

Keynote speakers Graham Elliot, chef/restaurateur, Graham Elliot Bistro, Chicago, and Walter Staib, president/owner-proprietor, City Tavern Restaurant Concepts, Philadelphia, spoke on the current state of the foodservice industry and the power and responsibility of chefs at the first General Session July 16.

During the five-day event, chefs and culinary students faced off in ACF’s national competitions, demonstrating their culinary skills and leadership.

Special thanks to ACF’s sponsors and exhibitors who helped make Cook. Craft. Create. a success!

At Cook. Craft. Create., chefs faced off in several ACF national competitions, demonstrating their culinary skills and leadership. ACF also presented awards to chefs and establishments for advancing the culinary industry and profession.

Below are the 2016 ACF award winners and honorees:

U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions

Patrick Mitchell, CEC, AAC

ACF Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Plugrá European Style Butter

American Academy of Chefs® Awards

In addition, the 45th annual American Academy of Chefs (AAC) dinner was held during Cook. Craft. Create. at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix Arizona. Fourteen chefs
were inducted into this honor society for chefs and several foodservice professionals received awards.